Coffee grinder



June 28, 1932i Q HOWSON 1,864,595

COFFEE GRINDER Filed May 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5% alias l2. 4291/1010, Maia?! I y June-28, 1932 T. HOWSON COFFEE GRINDER Filed May 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Patented June 28, 1932 TE-o STATES PATENT} oFF ca? FC'HARLES T. Howson, or SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO fiUNTIiEY MANU- FACTURIN G 00., OF SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, A COBPORATION OF NEW YORK COFFEE GRINDER Application filed May. 6,

My invention relates to improvements in.

ashaft having only two bearings adapted to" receive both the radial and thrust load.

Another object of my invention is to provide a coffee grinder in which provision is made for automatically taking'up the wear 011 the bearings and for allowing the separation of the grinding elements'when hard foreign particles enter with the coffee, thereby preventing damage to said grinding ele-J ments. v r p A further object of my invention is to provide a machine which will be quiet underac- T tion and possess free running qualities, and in which the grinding elements, preferably in the form of plates or annuli, are main tained in perfect alignment.

A still further object of my invention is the employment of tapered roller bearings in connection with a thrust spring to keep the raceways of the roller bearings in contact with the rollers at alltimes and tokeep the grinding elements in alignment and in per- 3 feet parallelism, regardless of the extent to which the bearings are worn. r

With the aboveand other objects in view to appear'hereinafter, my invention consists in thenovel features of construction and in be hereinafter described, and more particularly pomted out im the sublomed chums serves to control the feeding of stock to the receiving chamber and is provided with a' In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, a portion of the feed hopper being broken away.

Figs. 2 and 3 are from opposite ends. I V

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal i section, taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

F 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical section, taken on line 5-5, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow crossing said line.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section end elevations viewed of parti cyhndricalformation in cross section, as best'shown in Fig. 5, and serves as a 192s. Seriai no. io'7,o94.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 77,Fig4.. -r I r V The mounting or'support of the grinding machine is,,in .its preferred arrangement, in the form of a'pedestal 8, which is fastened at its lower end to the fioorand atits upper end has the casing 9 ofthe, machine secured thereto, as at 10. The casing of the machine is formedin' two'parts 11, 12. The casing 9, and more particularlythe part 11 thereof, has a receiving chamber 13 provided with a large opening or passage, 14 atone end and a shaft openingj15 at its other end,.and 00- X axial with saidsh'aft opening is, a sleeve extension 16 having an internal flange 17 between its endsandbeing open-at its outer end. 1 From this sleeve extension a depending portion 18 extends, which serves as a, short standard for the casingand is connected to the upper end of the pedestal, previously referred to as the'point where the casing is secured to the pedestal. Therec'eivingchamj ber 14 has an opening in its top into which the neck of ahopper-shaped casting 19 is inserted, said castingbeing held in place by a set screw 20 threaded through one wall of the receiving chamber and bearing against said neck. -This.casting,l9 forms part of a-hopper 21, shown partly broken away in Figs. 1.t03.-

22 is a slidable gatewhichmaybe closed, fullyopened, or only partly opened,'and inany position it may be placed, it is retained bya setscrew 23 threadedithrough a portion of said casting and bearing against thefunder or outer side of said gate. Said gate handle 24 for conveniently sliding the same.

To the open end of the part 11 ofsaid casing, the part 12 is secured, this part being grinding chamber 25 having its peripheral or parti-cylindrical wall terminating in con-',

verging portions 26 forming a tapering outlet spout for said chamber. This part 12 of 5 the casing is open atone end and this open. end is placed against the part 11 so that the receiving chamber 13 is in communication therewith through the opening or passage 14.

On the outer end wall of the grinding chamber 25, a sleeve extension 27 is formed, and in said outer end wall an opening 28 is arranged. The wall of the opening v formed'in the closed end of the receiving chamber 13 has an annular groove 29 formed therein which is filled with suitable packing 30, and the internal flange 17 is also provided withan annular groove 31 in which packing 32 is placed. The opening 28 in the outer end wall of the part 12 is also provided'with an annular groove 33, in which packing 3 1 is placed.

. Extending through the receiving chamber, the part 12 which serves as a grinding chamher, and the sleeve extension 16, and extending into the sleeve extension 27 is a shaft 35. The shaft is enlarged midway between its endsto form opposite shoulders 36, 37

one of which is within the receiving chamber and the other within the sleeve extension 16 outside "of the internal flange 17 thereof.

This shaft extendsthrough the shaft opening 15 and through the opening formed by the internal flange 17 and the packing and 32;

' said packing bearing against the enlarged intermediate portion of this shaft.

Fastened to the shaft by means ofkeys 38, or otherwise, isa combined conveyerand grinding element 39 in the form of a casting comprising a sleeve or elongated hub 40,-

spiral ribs 41 on said sleeve or hub, a wide flange or disk-like member 12 extendi from "said sleeve or hub and disposed within the grinding chamber, and agrinding plate or" annulus 43 detachably applied to'said flange: or disk-like member by means of bolts 14, or

otherwise. Said spiral rib extends from said flange or disk-like member '12 inwardly'into the receiving chamber '14; ofithe casing and one end of the sleeve or hub of said combined conveyer and grinding element bears against the shoulder 36'on said shaft.- The other end of said sleeve or hub extends into the opening 28 and the packing 362 within the roove of said 0 enin bears against said sleeve or hub.

.Within the sleeve extension 16 is a roller bearing comprising an outwardly-tapered 1nner raceway 15, which surrounds the shaft 35 and bears against the shoulder 37 thereof,

an inwardly-flaring outer raceway 16 sur rounding said inner raceway, and a series of tapered anti-friction rollers 517 between said raceways. I I 1 r 7 To the outer open end of said sleeve extension 16, a cap 48 is secured by means of screws;

19, or otherwise, said cap having an internally-threaded axial opening 50 and a segmentlike extension 51. An adjustable abutment is employed in connection with said roller bearing to keep the annu ar series of rollers 47 in firm rolling contact with the inner raceway, and the outer raceway in firm contact with said series of rollers. This adjustable abutment is in the form of a sleeve 52 having a head or enlargement 53 at its inner end adapted to rotatably and slidably fit within said sleeve extension and a threaded portion 54; extending outwardly from said head or enlargement to within a short dis tance of'the outer end of said sleeve, the outer endportion of said sleeve being reduced in diameter, as at 55. The sleeve 52 is threaded through the cap 48 from the inner side when assembling the parts of the machine, and after placement within said cap, it is adj ust- I The head or enlargement 53 of the adjus V able abutment is provided with a depression 57 on its inner slde so that an annular bearing portion 58 is formed which alone bears against the outer raceway of said roller bearing, and said adjusting sleeve has its bore somewhat larger than the diameter of the shaft 35 which passes therethrough, said bore being providedat its inner end with an internal rib 59 which may be provided with packing similar to the flange 17 in the sleeve extension 16.

PI'OVlSlOIllS made for supplying the roller bearing within said sleeve extension 16 with a lubricant, and in preferred form, a cup 60 is threaded into said sleeve extension for this purpose. This cup is adapted to be filled with a semi-fluid lubricant to be delivered thereby into the sleeve extension so as to substantially surround or enclose the several parts of the roller bearing.

The segment-like extension 51 projects from one side of the cap 48 and is provided with a series of notches 61 along its outer edge, numbered from O, or zero, upwardly. In the drawings, ten notches are shown which are numbered from 0 to 9, respectively.

The extension 51 has a guide arm 62 extending upwardly therefrom, and in this -guide arm is'mounted a shifter bar 63, which is further guided for slidable movement in any suitable manner and which carries a shifter arm 64- by means of which a belt (not shown). passed through said shifter arm, is

adapted to be moved from'a tight pulley 65,

on the shaft 35, to a loose pulley 66 on said shaft, or reversely. This belt shifting mech anism is, however, only used when the machine is driven from a counter-shaft, but when driven from an individual motor, such as shown at 67 in the drawings, the tight pulley only is utilized. The motor 67 is, of

" the machine.

course, electrically operated and secured to? the pedestal 8' of the machine, it having a pulley 68 on its shaft alined with, the tight pulley 65,- and aroundthese pulleys a belt 69 is passed. It is tobe. noted, however, that this belt is not passed through theshifter arm 6 of the belt shifting mechanism, since in stopping the machine, a switch is 'employedi to shut off the current from the motor, as will be quite apparent. 1 r

While I have shown the machine arranged to be operated by an electric motor, parent that it is equipped to be driven from av counter-shaft without necessitating any changes whatsoever in the construction of On. the reduced outer end of. the adjustable abutment 52, an adjusting lever 70 is secured, this lever having a split hub adapted to be slipped over the reduced: outer end of the sleeve portion. of said abutment, and by means of a clamping screw 71 passing through the lugs at the split portion of said hub, said lever is firmly fastened; to said abutment. Said lever has a handle TEZ-terminating beyond the notched edge of the segment-like extension 51 and a pair of lugs 73 on its inner side between which is pivotally secured latch-handle or dog 74, be-- tween which and the handle ofthe adjusting lever, an expansion spring 75' is interposed;-

said spring serving to keep the inner end of said latch-handle or dog in engagementwith any desired one of the series of notches 61 in j said segment-like extension, thus preventing rotation of the adjusting sleeve and per mitting slight and convenient adjustment of said abutment within the cap 48. I

Fastened to that end of the shaft 35, whic extends into the sleeve extension 27 is an veyer and grinding element, while a thrust element 79, slidably arranged within said sleeve extension, bears against the outer end of the outer raceway 77. This thrust element is in the form of a cup having an annular 'bearing portion at its inner edge of substantially the same width as the outer end of said outer raceway, against which it bears; and extending into the outer cupped portion of said thrust element is an expansion spring 81, one end thereof bearing against said thrust element and its other end against a cap 82 fastened to the outer end of said sleeve extension 27.

The grinding plate or annulus 43 is de-i tachably secured to the inner side of the it is apI- ,flange. or disk-like member 42, which, recessed from its, edge inwardly to receive saidgr inding; plateor annulus, and; it, is therefore movable,-or more particularly stated, rotatable with the shaft 35, and co-acts with a detachable or replaceable grinding; plate or annulus .83, which is fastened to-theouter side of the Wall separating the receiving chamber 13 from thegrinding chamberj25.

Said last-mentioned grinding plate or ans tions or teeth 84;

Opposed faces of saidgrinding; plates or annuli are disposed at a slight angle to each. other so that they approach each other closest at their outer marginal portions and gradubetween them. terial tobe ground isdeliveredto the grind-v ing surfaces of these parts from a point near" their centers, and since the grinding space between them becomes gradually diminished outwardly, the material moves outwardly toward the outer marginal portions of said surfaces and is gradually reduced to the de-,

Therefore, considerably less I power is required than would otherwise be sired fineness.

necessary, and furthermore, as the material has free access to the grinding space between said grinding surfaces, clogging of the ma.- terial cannot take place; a

By reason of the combined conveyer and grinding. element 39 having its sleeve or hub 40 in contact with the shoulder 36 of the shaft 7 35, the thrust spring, 8l exerts its force 5.: nulus is therefore non-rotatable, or fixed, and

opposed surfaces of both grinding plates or" annuli are provided with grinding serraally recede inwardly to enlarge the space 5 As the coffee or other maagainst said combined conveyer and grind-- ing element, through the medium of-the thrust element 79 and adjacent roller bearing,

and forces the shaft to the right, as viewed-- in Fig, 4,- with the result that the shoulder 37 w of said shaft forces its adjacent roller beara ing in firm contact with the adjustable abutment 49, thereby maintaining the series of anti-friction rollers of said last-mentioned, bearing inproper rolling contact with-its co-actingraceways and automatically takingup the wear between the parts of said bearing. This action of the thrust spring 81 also maintains the series of anti-friction rollers of the roller bearingwithin the sleeve extension 27 inflproper rolling contact with its 'co-acting raceways and automatically takes. up any wear between the parts of said roller bearing; at the same timeythe combined conveyer and grinding element-39 is maintained so that the movable or rotatable grindingplate or annulus43 will maintain its proper-relation to the immovable or fixed grinding plate or annulus 83. which relation is determined by the adjustable abutment 52. It will therefore be apparent that by-the use of the roller bearing specified, the thrust spring 81 serves to keep the; grinding plates in perfect alinem/ent and in tram, without possibility of the slightest wabbling move ment 'of the rotatable grinding plate or ele-,

ment, and provides a quiet and easy running -;machine.

Moreover, in the event that any hard substances contained within the material to be ground passes between the grinding surfaces of the machine, the movable or rotatable grinding plate or annulus will move away from the immovable or fixed grinding plate or annulus, this being allowed by the thrust spring 81, which becomes compressed to the requireddegree under such conditions.

For the purpose of keeping the walls of the grinding chamber 25in clean condition, scrapers 85 are secured to the outer side of the flange or disk-like member 42 on the'combined conveyer or grinding element. Each of hering matter and delivering the same into the tapered outlet or spout of said chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what a I claim is: a

1, In a grinding machine, the combination with acasing having opposite sleeve extensions, a shaft arranged within said casing and extending from a point within one'of said sleeve extensions through said casing and through the other sleeve extension thereof,

said shaft having an enlarged intermediate portion providing opposite shoulders, a rollfor one end of said shaftwithin one of said sleeve extensions comprising an outer and an inner raceway and an annular er bearing series of tapered rollers, a thrust element bearing against said outer raceway, a thrust spring exerting pressure against said thrust element, a sleeve on said shaft bearing with one end against one of said shouldersand having the inner raceway of said roller bearing bear against the other end thereof, a grinding element carried by said sleeve, a grinding element fixed to a wall'of said casing for co-action with said first mentioned grinding element, a roller bearing in the other sleeve extension of said casing comprising an inner raceway bearing'against the other shoulder of said shaft, an outer raceway, and an annular series of tapered anti-friction rollers between said raceways, an adjustable abutment hearing against'said last-mentioned outer raceway, and means for adjusting said adjustable abutment.

2. A grinding machine, comprising a casing having alined sleeve extensions and having also a fixedgrinding element therein, a

shaft extending through said casing including one of said sleeve extensions and terminating at one end within the other sleeve extension, said shaft having an enlarged intermediate portion forming opposite shoulders, a grinding element on said. shaft rotatable therewith for co-action with said fixed grinding element and bearing against one of said shoulders,a roller bearing within one of said sleeve extensions having its inner raceway in contact with the other shoulder of said shaft, an adjustable abutment bearing against the outer raceway of said last-mentioned roller bearing, a second roller hearing within the other sleeve extension of said casing having its inner raceway bearing against said rotatable grinding element, a thrust element within said last-mentioned sleeve extension bear ing against the outer raceway of said lastmentioned roller bearing, and a thrust sprlng exertlng pressure against said thrust element.

3. A grinding machine, comprising a casing, a shaft having a shoulder and being rotatable within said casing, a roller bearing comprising an outwardly-tapered inner raceway mounted on said shaft and having its inner end against said shoulder, an inwardlyfiaring outer raceway spaced from said inner raceway and a series of tapered rollers between said raceways, a detachable element applied to said casing and having a segment extension provided with a series of notches and a threaded opening co-axial with said shaft, an adjustable element threaded into said opening and bearing with its inner end against'said outer raceway, and an adjusting lever secured to the outer end of said adjustable element and having a spring-actuated latch'leve'r adapted to be entered in any one of the series of notches on said segment extension.

4. A grinding machine, comprising a casing having a fixed grinding element therein, an adjustable abutment at one end of said casing, a shaft within said casing extending outwardlythrough said abutment and having an enlarged intermediate portion form ing two shoulders, a'roller bearing within said casing comprising an inner raceway in contact with one of said shoulders, an outer raceway in contact with said adjustable abut- -ment and an annular series of anti-friction elements between said raceways, a grinding element on said shaft rotatable therewith and in contact with the other shoulder of said exerting pressure against said thrust element to automatically take up wear on said bearin s.

A grinding machine, comprising a casing, a shaft journaled within said casing and extending from one end thereof, said shaft having a shoulder thereon, grinding means within said casing carried in part by said shaft and in part by said casing, a roller bearing having an inner raceway and an outer raceway and having said inner raceway bearing against said shoulder, an adjustable abutment bearing against the outer raceway of said roller bearing and serving to maintain the parts of said grinding means in predetermined grinding relation, a lever for said adjustable abutment, co-acting means on said casing and lever for maintaining said adjustable abutment in any adjusted position, and yielding means exerting pressure against said shaft to hold said roller bearing against said abutment and thereby automatically maintain the parts of said grinding means in true alinement under all conditions of wear of said roller bearing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES T. HOWSON. 

